Intrauterine device,inserting mechanism therefor and method of inserting same



Nov. 11. 1969 M s. BURNHILL 3,477,430

INTRAUTERINE DEVICE, INSERTING MECHANISM THEREFOR AND METHOD OF INSERTING SAME Filed May 13. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 INVENTOR. T Mlchwcz 8.8mm

BYadwvdm Nov. 11. 1969 M. s. BURNHILL 3,477,430

INTRAUTE E DEVICE, INSERTING MECHANISM THEREFOR ND METHOD OF INSERTING SAME Filed May 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Meme. 6. 50mm 273M 17 0 6. ad/

United States Patent 3,477,430 IN TRAUTERINE DEVICE, INSERTING MECHA- NISM THEREFOR AND METHOD OF IN- SERTING SAME Michael Seth Burnhill, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Caduceus Industries, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 13, 1966, Ser. No. 549,837 Int. Cl. A61f /46 US. Cl. 128--130 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tool for inserting an intrauterine device having a tail. The tool has a plunger which is provided with a tail grasping slit which permits the intrauterine device to be withdrawn within an outer sleeve surrounding the tool plunger.

The present invention is directed to an improved intrauterine device and to an improved inserting mechanism for such an intrauterine device.

Heretofore, various intrauterine devices have been designed and various inserting mechanisms have been used for inserting them into a uterus. However the inserting mechanisms have normally been complicated devices which are expensive to manufacture and complicated to use.

In addition, with present intrauterine devices, the wearer has been unable to determine whether or not the device has been ejected from the uterus without having an examination by a physician.

The present invention overcomes these drawbacks and has for one of its objects the provision of an improved intrauterine device which may be easily inserted and withdrawn from the uterus.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved intrauterine inserting mechanism which is inexpensive to manufacture and simple to use.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice:

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an intrauterine device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the intrauterine device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an inserting mechanism embodying the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a detail showing the manner in which the intrauterine device is mounted on an inserting mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing an'intrauterine device being pulled into the inserting mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a detailed sectional view taken along line 6 6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the intrauterine device is inserted within the inserting mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a detail view, in section, showing the position of the intrauterine device when located within the inserting mechanism:

FIG. 9 is a detail view, in section, showing the man- 3,477,430 Patented Nov. 11, 1969 ice ner of moving the intrauterine device out of the inserting mechanism;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic front sectional view showing the position of the intrauterine device within the uterus; and

FIG. 11, is a diagrammatic side sectional view of the uterus showing the intrauterine device positioned therewithin.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, one form of the intrauterine device of the present invention comprises a generally bow-shaped structure 1 having substantially parallel opposed end legs. 2 and 3, which in the drawings are illustrated as having a circular configuration .and being bent away from the plane of the device to form apexes 4 and 5. Opposite corners of the end legs are joined together by cross bars 6 and 7 which may have a square configuration. At the apex 4 of the end leg 2 there is provided a stop in the form of a knob and at the apex 5 of the end leg 3 there is provided a gnob having a pair of followers, tails or trailers 8 thererorn.

The intrauterine device 1 may be made of flexible plastic material and the tails 8 may be made of thin string or some other suitable material. In the drawings two tails 8 have been shown, however, one or more tails 8 may be used, if desired. The tails 8 are embedded within the knob 5 at the rear of the device.

However, it will be understood that, if desired, the tails 8 may be attached to the intrauterine device 1 in any desired manner.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, an intrauterine device 10 shown comprises two substantially triangular portions 11 and 12 joined together at 13. The larger portion 11 has a generally flat ribbon-like configuration. The smaller portion 12 has a small circular configuration and has the tails 8 extending therefrom.

The inserting mechanism 15 is shown in FIGS. 3 to 9 and comprises a hollow outer tube 16 and a plunger 17 mounted within the hollow tube 16. Both the tube 16 and the plunger 17 may be made of any suitable plastic. The plunger 17 has a handle 18, having grooves 21 therein, at one end which is wider than the plunger 17 adapted to strike the rear edge of tube 16 and to act as a stop when the plunger 17 is inserted within. the outer tube 16. The plunger 17 is longer than the tube 16 so that its front end extends beyond the forward end of the tube 16.

The front end of the plunger has a tail-receiving slit 19 formed therein which is angled with respect to the surface and which merges into guide grooves 20.

In order to insert the intrauterine device 1 into the uterus, the tails 8 of the device 1 is first inserted in the slit 19 as shown in FIG. 3. The plunger 17 is then moved back in order to thread the tails 8 into the outer tube 16 as shown in FIG. 5. The tails 8 lie in the guide grooves 20 on each side of the plunger.

The plunger 17 is then completely removed from the outer tube so that the tails 8 extend through the rear opening in the outer tube 16. The tails 8 should be longer than the outer tube 16 so that they will extend therethrough. The tails =8 are grasped by the user and the device 1 is pulled within the forward end in the outer tube 16 (FIG. 7), until it is almost totally within the tube 16, as shown in FIG. 8.

The plunger 17 is then replaced within the outer tube 16 and the front end of the introducer 15 is inserted into the uterus 20 until the depth stop 22 is reached. The plunger 17 is pushed down into the outer tube 16 so that it applies pressure to the device 1 and pushes the device 1 out into the uterus as shown in FIG. 9. The device 1 is released and assumes the position shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

It may be noted that the tails 8 extend out of the uterus 20, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The tails 8 may be shortened for convenience so that they extend only a short distance out of the uterus.

Furthermore, the front end of the plunger 17 may also be used by a physician to sound the uterus. The handle 18 of the plunger 17 may be used to dilate the cervix to make certain that there is adequate room for insertion of the introducer 15. In this operation the thin end of the handle 18 is inserted within the uterus and the notches 21 are used to determine the depth. If the widest part of handle 18 may be inserted, then the physician knows that an intrauterine device of a larger size should be inserted.

With this structure, the wearer may physically determine whether or not the intrauterine device is in place. Furthermore, the intrauterine device may be easily removed by pulling on the tails.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an improved intrauterine device which may be easily inserted and removed and to an improved insertion mechanism which is simple to use and inexpensive to manufacture.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An inserting mechanism for an intrauterine device having a filamentary flexible tail extending therefrom which comprises an outer tube, an inner plunger movable within said outer bute, and means adjacent the front end of the plunger for frictionally engaging and positively holding the tail only of said intrauterine device.

2. An inserting mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tail-gripping means comprises a slit in said plunger.

3. An inserting mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plunger has a portion which extends beyond the forward end of said outer tube and wherein said slit is positioned in this portion of the plunger.

4. An inserting mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein a tail guide groove is provided on said plunger which extends from the tail-gripping slit to the forward end of the plunger.

5. An inserting mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein said outer tube has a depth stop therein.

6. An inserting mechanism as claimed in claim 11, wherein said plunger has a portion which extends beyond the forward end of said outer tube and wherein said slit is positioned in this portion of the plunger.

7. A inserting mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein a tail guide groove is provided on said plunger which extends from the slit to the forward end of the plunger.

8. An inserting mechanism as claimed in claim 7, wherein said outer tube has a depth stop therein.

9. An inserting mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein said plunger has a tapered handle adapted to be used as a uterus dilator.

10. An inserting mechanism as claimed in claim 9, wherein said handle has a plurality of spaced notches therein to act as depth determining means.

11. An inserting mechanism for an intrauterine device having a tail which comprises an outer tube, an inner plunger movable within said outer tube, a slit adjacent the front end of the plunger for positively grasping the tail only of said intrauterine device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,122,579 7/1938 Meckstroth 128-430 2,298,752 10/1942 Crockford 128-427 3,253,590 5/1966 Birnberg et a1. 128-130 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 128-263 

